Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Cut Chemist has a life-size R2D2 in his home, and lots of autographed photos of his heroes, including Bob Dylan. He constructed his latest album, a mix cd called Sound of the Police with just one turntable. Read this cool interview from LA Weekly here. Excerpt below...

"... It makes me happy that everybody appreciates DJs enough to wanna be one. Absolutely, that makes me happy. What doesn't make me happy is my perception that people seem to appreciate specific DJs less or are willing to support DJs less because they are themselves one.

Like, "Oh, I don't need to go check him out, or maybe I don't need to hire him because I hired this person to be the DJ." Or, "I can do it: I'm a DJ." So, the more DJs there are, the less demand there is. That's just basic supply and demand: The jobs have become less for me now that there are more DJs.

I don't think that's an accident, and it's harder for me to get people to listen to what my niche is because it's very different from what all these other DJs have been doing. You know, I'm not a Top 40 DJ. I consider myself more like a performance artist, and in an age when there are so many DJs, it's harder to recognize a DJ as a performance artist.

... I'm not just behind two decks, but actually making music with different things, performing with different elements, you know, something hopefully captivating."

If you are a musician who is writing and recording original material, work for hire is possibly the worst kind of contract you could sign with a record company. The more money they give you, the more rights you will have to sign away to your music. The best situation is to get a contract where all the rights to your music revert to you after a certain time period. Read this story about Bob Marley and his family and learn, kids.

"Bob Marley's family lost a lawsuit seeking the copyrights to several of the late Jamaican reggae singer's best-known recordings.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the UMG Recordings unit of Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group is the rightful owner of copyrights to five albums that Marley had recorded between 1973 and 1977 for Island Records.

The albums "Catch a Fire," "Burnin'," "Natty Dread," "Rastaman Vibrations" and "Exodus" were recorded with Marley's band The Wailers. They include some of Marley's best-known songs, including "Get Up, Stand Up," "I Shot the Sheriff," "No Woman, No Cry" and "One Love." Marley died of cancer in 1981 at age 36.

Friday night's ruling is a defeat for Marley's widow Rita and nine children who had sought to recover millions of dollars in damages over UMG's effort to "exploit" what they called "the quintessential Bob Marley sound recordings."

L. Peter Parcher and Peter Shukat, who are lawyers for the family, did not immediately return calls seeking comment. UMG spokesman Peter LoFrumento said the company is pleased with Cote's ruling.

Marley's family accused UMG of intentionally withholding royalties from their company Fifty-Six Hope Road Music Ltd, and ignoring a 1995 agreement assigning them rights under the original recording agreements, court papers show.

It also accused UMG of failing as required to consult with them on key licensing decisions, including the use of Marley's music as "ringtones" on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile phones, the papers show.

But Cote concluded that Marley's recordings were "works made for hire" as defined under U.S. copyright law, entitling UMG to be designated the owner of those recordings, for both the initial 28-year copyright terms and for renewals. [my bold]

"Each of the agreements provided that the sound recordings were the 'absolute property' of Island," Cote wrote. "Whether Marley would have recorded his music even if he had not entered the recording agreements with Island is beside the point."

She added that it was irrelevant that Marley might have maintained artistic control over the recording process. What mattered, she said, was that Island had a contractual "right" to accept or reject what he produced.

Cote also denied the Marley family's request for a ruling upholding its claims over digital downloads, citing ambiguity in a 1992 royalties agreement. She directed the parties to enter court-supervised settlement talks, and scheduled an October 29 conference.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Spotted at Dangerous Minds. From 1965, the song is “Shotgun” and the TV show, televised on Nashville’s Channel 5 WLAC-TV, was called Night Train. Singing duo is Buddy and Stacy, and Jimi is part of the Crown Jewels, Little Richard’s back-up band.

The Orcon Great Blend returned last Friday, this time at the magnificent Wintergarden venue in the Civic Theatre, a criminally underused space. The lineup included music, some collaborations (Askew vs Karl Maughan - street art meets high art and wins) and some fine conversation. First up was host Russell Brown interviewing music impresario Simon Grigg onstage.

Simon talked about starting the Suburban Reptiles - he was originally planning on starting a jazz band with a mate, but then he saw the Sex Pistols and he told his mate "forget the jazz band, we're starting a punk band". Simon said that the punk explosion was fuelled by Mr Asia heroin too, among other drugs.

Russell asked about the huge influx of bands from the North Shore in the early 80s, like the Screaming Meemees, who Simon managed and also released their hit record, See Me Go on his label Propellor. Simon put it down to an influx of Shore kids discovering punk and new wave and coming into the city. Smart kids leave the Shore.

Simon is currently writing a book on OMC - he's writing the story of the record How Bizarre. He says that it will probably upset some people. And Russell had to ask - Where did all the money go? Simon's reply - Pauly spent it. He was very generous, buying houses, paying off mortgages, buying cars for people. I remember hearing about Pauly getting into Brazilian music, and decided to take off to Brazil with 6 of his mates to go record buying.

Then we had a comic book collaboration between Dylan Horrocks and Emily Perkins, which they read out aloud from the stage, very entertaining (they had copeis for sale later too, and they signed them - how lovely). Karl Maughan and Askew talked about their art collaboration, with Askew complimenting Karl's newfound skills with a spraycan. Welcome to the future, bro.

Silke Hartung and her uke and friends played a few songs, and then Simon Grigg got on the decks and played some splendid tunes. I'm still shocked that nobody bothered to get up and dance when he dropped Innerzone Orchestra's classic Bug in the bassbin. The dancefloor eventually filled out, thanks to some classic funk and soul, not a million miles away from a classic night at Cause Celebre/Box. Even Russell danced. Excellent night out! Thanks to all involved.

Suzi also blogged about the event at Kiss My Arts. And check Askew's blog too for video of their collabration.

The Theatre Royal
Al's Bar
The Dux - update, closed tonight (wednesday) due to damge from after shocks
El Santo
The Loons
Town Hall (tbc)
AMI Stadium.

MAINZ classes have been suspended until Sept 20th.

The Uni of Canterbury is closed til 13th Sept.

The CSM and the Music Centre building have been given the all clear and re open for lessons as normal from Tuesday 7th Sept. There has been some minor damage to some parts of the roof and so pedestrian access is via the door off Ferry Road (through the gate). Also, there will be no car parking available on site until some rubble has been cleared away. CPIT is closed for a week.

For more on what venues have been damanged or remain unharmed check the Chart website

Please note due to the continuing aftershocks this information could change quickly, if you're unsure of a shows status please contact the relevant venue and/or tune into your local radios stations such as RDU for updates and be safe."

"Mini & Tiger Translate proudly present alongside The Turnaround for the first time in New Zealand, acclaimed Japanese DJ, musician and producer DJ Mitsu The Beats.

Fresh from releasing his third solo album Universal Force (PlanetGroove) in Japan, DJ Mitsu The Beats hits Aotearoa on his first visit down under, following in the footsteps of countryman and label mate Grooveman Spot who tore up clubs in Auckland and Wellington exactly one year ago. Having made a name for himself internationally with productions and remixes under his own name and as producer for hyped Japanese hip-hop group GAGLE, Mitsu comes correct with a special blend of deep-dug soul, jazz and funk breaks, hip-hop and future beats.

Joining Mitsu for two exclusive tour dates in Auckland and Wellington will be Taro "Wassupski" Kesen, head of Tokyo's influential record store/label/movement Jazzy Sport. Local support comes from Julien Dyne playing live with Riki Gooch & Parks, plus your hosts as always - Manuel Bundy, Submariner & Cian.

Come check one of the dopest Japanese DJ/producers of the past decade...

The NY Times has an interesting story on the Gregory Brothers a Brooklyn band who lifted a clip off a tv news item, autotuned it, andf turned it into a bonafide chart hit - From Viral Video to Billboard 100.

"The song’s source material could not have been more unlikely: A local TV news report from Huntsville, Ala., about an intruder who climbed into a woman’s bed and tried to assault her.

But with some clever editing and the use of software that can turn speech into singing, the Gregory Brothers ... transformed an animated and angry rant by the victim’s brother into something genuinely catchy.

The resulting track, “Bed Intruder Song,” has sold more than 91,000 copies on iTunes, and last week it was at No. 39 on the iTunes singles chart. Its video has been viewed more than 16 million times on YouTube.

Russ Crupnick, an analyst at NPD, said the song’s success pointed to a shift in how music is shared and discovered. Around 70 million Americans buy a CD each year, he said, which is on par with the number of people who are now listening to and finding new music on YouTube.

Some of the group’s online traction stems from the way they turn their songs into viral video franchises by posting the chords and lyrics and encouraging others to create their own versions of the songs, said Kenyatta Cheese, one of the creators of a Web video series called “Know Your Meme” that documents online phenomena.

“They made it more participatory, which increases the value of their original work,” Mr. Cheese said. “They embraced the remix culture and understood they have to contribute back in order to make it spread even further.”

The group's previous successes with videos include the Autotune the news series, and the double rainbow song (featured below, plus original)

Sha Rock - autobiography of the 1st female hiphop MC...
You can buy The Story Of The Beginning and End Of The First Hip Hop Female MC...Luminary Icon by Sha-Rock of The Funky Four Plus One on Amazon. Hat tip to Diff Kitchen

Yellow Magic Orchestra on Soul Train, doing Tighten up, the Archie Bell & the Drells tune. Check out the random dancing Japanese dude in suit. And the interview at the end is pretty funny. Hat tip to my fellow BaseFM DJ Nabeel for this. Killer.

Bonus - footage from YMO's first US gig, at the Greek Theatre, complete with cheesy MC's intro.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Via Sedgwick and Cedar blog: "This new Google Maps-based web app called The Rap Map shows placemarks for major locations in Hip Hop. From Mos Def’s childhood home in Brooklyn to 2Pac’s Elementary school in Baltimore, the map is slowly expanding it’s reach as users suggest locations. The app was created by Rap Genius, a website dedicated to the history, meanings and stories rooted in Hip Hop lyrics."

Just came across this cool blog called Nerdy Frames, go have a look. There's a great interview with local talent Zowie (hat tip to Trevor for the link).

They also have a very cool interview with New York DJ and producer John Morales, who had a bunch of his edits reissued earlier this year on BBE (pictured above).

IV excerpt... "In 1975, being a DJ , I realized that I wanted to make some of the records I liked to play longer in time. It was then that I saved my money and bought my first reel-to-reel tape and cassette recorder, which I still have today. The first re-edits I did were using the pause button on the cassette.

"I learned to edit tape after many hours of trial and error. In so doing, I became an expert on how and where to cut the tape to create all the effects I wanted. After editing several records to make them longer, I realized that I could achieve the same effect by mixing parts from different records. Thus, the basis for the medley was born.

"And the place to go get the edits mixes pressed was Sunshine Sound at 1650 Broadway in NY. For the next few years this is where I met many NY DJ’s and also met Greg Carmichael & Patrick Adams who gave me my start in the studio."

Read Nerdy Frame's John Morales interview here. There's also a free download of Universal Robot Band’s “Barely Breaking Even (Club Version)” at the end of the IV too.

Jonny Sklute (alternatively known under the handle Jonny Paycheck), [is] owner, clerk, and CEO of Good Records NYC... A risk management broker turned record dealer, Sklute launched his storefront venture in 2005, right alongside the storied and busy market of East Village/Lower East Side record stores: A-1, the Sound Library, Gimme Gimme.

In keeping your inventory as sleek and clean as the store, where do all of these records that are near mint thirty years later come from?

Records are everywhere. They are the effects of previous lives and lifestyles, sometimes filed away without a thought or played heavily. Records are kept near mint because either the owner didn't care about them at all or cared about them a whole lot.

Sunday, September 05, 2010

That's according to this report from Hypebot. "Google is in final stage talks with labels to open a download store and a cloud-based song locker that would allow mobile users to play songs wherever they are. Google hopes to open its new music service before Christmas. Some label executives believe that Google Music will become the first real competitor to iTunes."

Friday, September 03, 2010

Copped these wicked tunes via Stinky Jim's blog Stink Inc (cheers, ears!) from Bristol beat bandito (as Jim calls him) Ealzee. Have a listen, then go grab them. He's also got remixes of MIA, Horace Andy, The Streets, and Matisyahu over on his Bandcampery. And if you like em, drop Ealzee a line - his email addy is listed under "For other inquiries" on the Bandcamp page.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

If you're a regular visitor, you'll know how much I love this story. It's like the universal MSM easy-pitch on the music industry, and it's a pleasant antidote to the usual "music industry is dying" stories from the media, which are often read as smug "look how bad they've got it" from an industry that is going thru difficult times too.

This story is from Oshawa, north of Toronto. Watch the video too - "We asked some civic leaders to tell us about the their first vinyl record they bought..." First up, the mayor. Choice.

Why does Oshawa local Connor Steele like vinyl? "I can keep them forever and I can pass them on to my children. Instead of downloading music, this is the real thing; the quality is better." Connor is 12.The beat goes on in Durham Region.

Monday, August 30, 2010

After seeing this clip, I've decided to buy a lotto ticket this week, and when I win a gazillion dollars, the first thing I'm gonna do is buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles and go and see Fitz and the Tantrums play live. These folk are phenomenally good. (Source)

Sounds interesting... "A discussion on the future of music distribution, particularly in relation to the possibilities of the online environment, will take place at the Adam Art Gallery in Wellington next Wednesday September 1 (6 - 8pm). Speakers include Roger Shepherd of Flying Nun Records, Annabel Youens and Jeff Mitchell from MusicHype, music critic Simon Sweetman and several other Wellington-based independent music agents. The event will workshop ideas and provide practical tools to consider the role of the record label now." Via NZ Musician.

Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington
Gate 3, Kelburn Parade. Next to the Student Union Building
Wednesday 1 September 20106-8pm. Refreshments provided.

Spotted this mad clip on legendary photographer Glen E Friedman's blog - also go read his post on the mosque protesters in New York and how he and his friend Russell Simmons put up some controversial posters to counter them.... "This was warrented by all the insanity surrounding the proposed building of a new Muslim mosque about six blocks away from "Ground Zero" (never mind that there is already a mosque two blocks away from Ground Zero already, for 40 years)..."

The Open Souls drop a mad-ass 80s remix of their tune Dollars, off the latest album from this splendid kiwi combo, Standing In The Rain. Not a million miles away from the choice dance sequence in the film Boy....

Monday, August 23, 2010

I posted a clip from Jim Jarmusch's film Coffee and Cigarettes the other day - it features GZA, RZA and Bill Murray. Pitchfork have put up an interview with Jarmusch to coincide with him curating a day at All Tomorows Party NYC.

He talks about working with musicianas as actors in his films...

"... They were all very focused, and it was really a pleasure. I never had any trouble with any of them. Even Wu-Tang showed up on time. They were great. In fact, we were shooting Coffee and Cigarettes, and we were actually waiting for Bill Murray. He was only half an hour late. That was pretty amazing."

He also talks about his friendship with the late Rammellzee, and his upcoming projects - such as a documentary on the Stooges... "There's no rush on it, but it's something that Iggy asked me to do. I'm co-writing an "opera." It won't be a traditional opera, but it'll be about the inventor Nikola Tesla, with the composer Phil Klein." He also has another film ready to shoot soon.

And my fave quote - "There's a rule in my household that if Iggy is playing anywhere within 90 miles, we go". Great rule.

BONUS VIDEO: Pitchfork has footage of Jim Jarmusch, Bradford Cox, and No Age's Randy Randall playing Cortez the Killer.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

"By the time Aquemini was due to drop in the fall of 1998, no one knew what to expect from the-soon-to-be-iconic OutKast....

...Now that the Dirty South rules the world, it's easy to forget that Aquemini was the first Southern hip-hop album to earn the coveted five-mic rating from the former bible of the genre, The Source magazine.

At the time, R&B was dead, rap was on its last leg (R.I.P. Biggie and Pac), and Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office getting some head. But it mattered not. If post-soul polemics and pre-millennial angst had the world in a funk, Aquemini only made things funkier..."

"... that [song featured] Erykah, Big Rube, Cee-Lo - again random occurrences. Dre's baby mama was Erykah Badu. I mean, damn, why wouldn't you put your baby mama on the record if she's Erykah Badu? It's not like he came to the studio and said, 'I want to put my girl on the song,' and this bitch work at the Varsity. She's Erykah Badu. Okay, do it."

Thats' the attention-grabbing headline from a Wired magazine story by Chris Anderson (author of The Long Tail) and Michael Wolff and it's delightfully provocative...

The Wired issue bases itself around that theme, and if you need an antidote to the waffle preached there, have a read of What's wrong with 'X is dead' from The Atlantic.

They observe that "The problem is Anderson's assumption about the way technology works. Serious technology scholars long ago discarded the idea that tech was just a series of increasingly awesomer things that successively displace each other. Australian historian Carroll Pursell, in reviewing Imperial College London professor David Edgerton's The Shock of the Old, summarized the academic thinking nicely:

An obsession with 'innovation' leads to a tidy timeline of progress, focusing on iconic machines, but an investigation of 'technology in use' reveals that some 'things' appear, disappear, and reappear...

And they close by noting that "Anderson's inevitable technological path [described in the article] happens to run perfectly through the domains (print/tablet) he controls at Wired, and away from the one that he doesn't." Funny that.

Best response I've seen tho was this one via Twitter from @ironicsans: “Just got my WebIsDead issue of Wired. It came several days after I read all about it plus pro and con arguments and analyses. On the web."

via Groovement: "Director Gary Weis’ 1979 documentary about the South Bronx and its gang culture, previously unavailable on DVD, will be released in the Autumn of 2010, the first time it has been offered to the public in decades, and will be accompanied by a handful of exciting bonus features.

Gary Weis was still working as a short film creator for Saturday Night Live when he came up with the idea for 80 Blocks after reading a Jon Bradshaw article, “Savage Skulls.” Published in a 1977 issue of Esquire Magazine, the piece centered on two gangs based in the South Bronx at the time — the Savage Nomads and the Savage Skulls. Weis became infatuated with the story and, soon after striking up a dialogue with Bradshaw, he convinced SNL producer Lorne Michaels to help him produce the film. Just two years later, in 1979, Weis and Bradshaw brought a camera crew to speak with members of both gangs, along with police officers, community activists, and civilians."

This story in the New York Times talks about several indie labels taking on film distribution, both as small cinema runs and on DVD. The approach is similar to how the lables operate... "stay small and informal, know your audience, and put out stuff you like." Excerpt below...

"... This summer, Drag City, a Chicago label, distributed “Trash Humpers,” the fifth feature by Harmony Korine (the screenwriter of Larry Clark’s “Kids”). “We were very glad to take it on,” said Rian Murphy, Drag City’s sales director, “because it is something new and different, and we like that kind of thing, and because it doesn’t have to do with the record business right now, which is kind of in a bummer.” Drag City, which represents musicians like Joanna Newsom and Silver Jews, bought prints of the film and “made sure they were in constant motion” around the country.

“Trash Humpers” was “not held to the traditional channels for distributing a movie,” Mr. Murphy said, “because we don’t know what those are.”

He added: “If someone emails us, and they’re not a complete lunatic, or if they are a complete lunatic, and they have money and a screen....”

As a result, the film has played at a beer bar in Chattanooga, Tenn., a bookstore in Houston and the George Eastman House in Rochester, extending its life beyond the art house. (How many screens? Mr. Murphy didn’t know; the company barely even signs contracts with its artists. “It changes the atmosphere,” he said.) The “Trash Humpers” DVD is due in September.

Spied this over at Stink Inc, the blog of the esteemed Mr Stinky Jim - slipped by me, but it's well worth a read. Collection of interviews with South American cats from the excellent ZZK Records.

Chancha Via Circuito's album Rodante was one of my favourite albums of 2008. His label ZZK, described it as "a collection of cumbia songs ranging in nature from introspective (at the edge of a shaman-style trip) to festive, as in a crazy journey on a runaway train." It's a wonderfully percussive delight from start to finish, and his new album Rio Arriba is on the way very soon. Jim talked with DJ Nim, one of the founders of the ZZK label, along with Chancha Via Circuito, and Tremor.

snip....How is your music received by 'traditional' cumbia' musicians or cumbia villera musicians? Is there much or any dialogue between the older, more traditional artists and this new school? Your Jose Larralde remix for example is a track that bridges the gap between old and new for me.

“The reality is that there isn´t much dialogue between us. We know some artists who play cumbia villera and we respect each other, but I don´t know how it´s received by "traditional cumbia musicians". I met José Larralde once and gave him a CD with my remix, but I never received his feedback.”

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Via Crate kings and twitter: "Unfortunately, the breaking news of the day is that all Fat Beats retail locations (NY and LA) will close on September 4th and 18th respectively. Over the years Fat Beats has cultivated a reputation for being the centre of the universe for hip-hop vinyl and in-store performances."

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

starts off with Terra Firma's acquisition of EMI, $4.7 billion (2007)... then there's Bertelsmann's investments in Napster, $100 million (2000-onward), and my fave...

The Robbie Williams 360-Degree Deal, $160 million (2002):Williams loves being able to walk the streets of Los Angeles without getting recognized. EMI, which signed a pioneering deal, was somehow less thrilled by that freedom.

Here's the latest slice of African goodness from Strut, with a bit of background info...(Audio preview - check here)

"Strut link up with one of the true greats of Ghanaian music, Ebo Taylor, for his first internationally released new studio album in over 20 years.

Following the wartime big band highlife pioneers like E.T. Mensah, Taylor became a major figure in Ghanaian highlife during the 1950s and ’60s as highlife exploded. Cutting his teeth with leading big bands like Stargazers and Broadway Dance Band, Ebo Taylor quickly rose through the ranks and became a prolific composer and frontman. Taylor moved to London in 1962 to study. “I had the Black Star Highlife Band sponsored by the Ghanaian High Commission, mainly comprising music students. We tried to incorporate jazz into highlife and progressed through talking and through jam sessions, trying to develop our skills and ideas.”

Back in Ghana, Taylor became an in-house arranger and producer for labels like Essiebons, working with other leading Ghanaian stars including C.K. Mann and Pat Thomas. “I was paid to write for them and we made some great records. People were trying new things – I always loved C.K. Mann’s Funky Highlife. It was fresh." Through the mid-‘70s and into the ‘80s, Taylor then recorded a number of solo projects, exploring unique fusions and borrowing elements from traditional Ghanaian sounds, Fela’s Afrobeat, jazz, soul and funk. Tracks like "Heaven" now stand as among the best Ghanaian Afrobeat of the era.

Interest in Ebo Taylor’s music has grown in recent years with a series of Ghanaian compilations on Soundway Records and Analog Africa and an unexpected sample as Usher lifted a riff from "Heaven" for his hit with Ludacris, "She Don’t Know." A new Ebo Taylor album was a natural progression. “For new album, I wanted to advance the cause of Afrobeat music. Fela started it and we shouldn’t just abandon it. We should push it so it is a standard form of music.“

The result is a firing new set backed by Dutch Berlin-based band Afrobeat Academy and involves members of Poets Of Rhythm. Tracks include new versions of Taylor classics "Victory" and "Love And Death" and a selection of new compositions including "Kwame," celebrating Ghana’s late, lamented leader Kwame Nkrumah.

Ebo Taylor's Love And Deathwill be released in CD / 2LP / digital formats. He will be touring with Afrobeat Academy beginning in December 2010."

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

As part of the "ThisCulture" film series we are proud to present the NZ premiere of "Favela on Blast" - this Wednesday night at Khuja Lounge.

Favela on Blast is the directorial film debut from Grammy-nominated DJ and producer, Diplo, and his partner Leandro HBL. For 20 years, a subculture has emerged under society's radar. Favela On Blast tells the stories of sex, love, poverty and pride for Rio's marginalized people. They have their own language, style and heroes. It's a music that's... fast, heavy and violent like the city itself. This film is a flash of a few lives of charismatic people that relate to the funk music and a retelling of the subculture itself.

In an unlikely turn of events since pre-production of this film started, baile funk fought its way out of the favela's, no holds barred. As soon as it reached the ears of music makers and booty shakers around the globe, dots got connected, cables got plugged and the movement just snowballed out of control.

The culture surrounding the favelas of Rio De Janeiro has been documented before, yet here a unique view is presented to the audience were the camera emerges from the funk balls to give an unseen look into an energetic, underground music scene so powerful it couldn't be ignored.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Frank Liew wrote a great piece over at Hypebeast on the whole iPhone vs Android vs Blackberry phone debate. He's been asking a lot of people which one they like and why, and has come up with a nifty theory on the choices - the cocktail party. Read below...

"... after a month or so of digesting information from supporters in all camps, I’ve decided to combine all this information and put forward my answer to this question in a simple analogy, that I hope everyone can understand.

Imagine you’re at a cocktail party.

There’s a guy who seems to be the centre of attention and has a harem of girls (including the one you’ve been eyeing up all night) giggling at his somewhat bland jokes and stories of his exploits as a sometimes-DJ or part-time model. You may not necessary like this guy, but can’t help but admire his “pulling power”, and quietly wonder to yourself how he does it, at the same time ridiculing him to your friends. You don’t know how he does it, but you can see the results in front of you, but you still wonder if it’s for real or if it’s all for show. This guy is an iPhone.

There’s a guy who sits quietly in the corner dressed in a Saville Row bespoke suit and sporting a 40′s IWC Pilot with a bunch of fellow male beatnik admirers in some strange fete-du-sausage whilst nursing a nice 25yo Glenmorangie single malt on the rocks. He brings up intellectual discussion, enjoys obscure conversation topics, likes to crack the odd dirty joke then and again to remind you that he’s on your level, and has a certain aura around him that you can’t seem to pinpoint, but you are drawn to. You wonder why he’s dressed the way he is, given that not many people seem that interested. This guy is a HTC Android powered phone.

There’s a guy who looks rather serious, in a corner with little to no friends and just sits there staring at his phone all night whilst typing away feverishly on the keyboard, trying to maintain a real life conversation with someone at the same time but failing miserably. This guy is all about getting shit done. This person is somewhat oblivious to his surroundings, and always ends up joining a conversation late, making it rather awkward, but he has rather strong opinions and prides himself on telling people when he gets something done, no matter how mundane. This guy is a Blackberry.

Back in 1988, a rather exciting festival was due to happen, with a lineup that included Bob Geldof, James Brown, Nona Hendryx, Roy Orbison and more. It was called the Neon Picnic and it collapsed in spectacular fashion a few days before it was due to take place. Writer Chris Bourke has a piece on his blog about it, lifted from a story he wrote at the time for Rip It Up. It's a great read. (Above photo from Chris's blog)

"In the last few days before the Neon Picnic was scheduled to start, people were waiting. For money.

International acts such as Los Lobos and Nona Hendryx were waiting for their plane tickets or advance fees; lighting and sound companies for their payments before they would continue work. Many others waited to be paid for work already done.
The Raglan County Council waited for toilets to be put on site, while the portaloo hire company waited for their cash.

The Picnic organisers were waiting for last-minute financial packages to come through and sort it all out." Read it in full here.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Via Flavourpill Daily Dose: "Christopher Walken played him in the movie Basquiat, but the creative life of Marc H. Miller transcends that singular moment via his website, 98 Bowery.

"In late-'60s downtown NYC, Miller blossomed as an artist, curator, journalist, and publisher. After organizing the very first punk art exhibition in 1978, he migrated to Amsterdam and shot Polaroid portraits in the red-light district, before returning to the Bowery to make videos, write a column, and organize shows — a lifestyle that's now amusingly and thoroughly documented online.